Multicolor weft replenishing loom



4 Sheets-Sheet l A. J. HERARD, JR., ETAL MULTICOLOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM INVENTORS BALD J. HERARD, JR. RICHARD G.TURNER 05% 9 HM ATTORNEY May 25, 1954 Filed Sept. 10, 1952 vfih mvm y 1954 A. J. HERARD, JR., ETAL 2,679,267

MULTICOLOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Sept. 10, 1952 FIG.2 8

INVENTORS I ARCHIBALD J. HERARD, JR. RICHARD G.TURNER Ohm-e ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1954, A. J. HERARD, JR., ET AL MULTICOLOR WEFT REPLENISHING 'LOOM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 10, 1952.

3 FIGS via INVENTORS ARGHIBALD J.HERARD,JR

I R|OHARDG.TURNER ATTORNEY Patented May 25, 1954 MULTIGOLOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMV Archibald J. Herard, .312, and Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass;, assignors to Crompton &. Knowles Loom'works, Worcester, Mass a corporation=of'Massachusetts Application September 10, 1952, Serial No. 308,816

2" Claims.

1 This invention relates to improvementslin. a multiweft or multicolor weft replenishing loom and it is the general objectof the invention to provide. improvedmeans forplacing the bobbins Fig. 2 is an enlarged planiview of the weft replenishing mechanismlookingin the direction of arrow 2-, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on a. reduced, scale of several diiierentstac zs in position for. transon line 3-3, Fig. 2 indicating the. manner in fer. into a shuttle. whichthe several magazinescan move independ- Multicolor weft replenishinglooms of thet-ype ently of each other to place their lowest bobbins capable of supplying more than. two diiierent inacommcn transfer-position, kinds of'weft have generally been made with the Fig; 4 is a view similar toa part, of Fig. 3 but bobbins arranged invertical stacks in astationary with the magazines broken away to'indicate the magazine wherein the bobbins when rele-asediroin positions of their supports, their respective stacks fall to a common transfer Fig. 5 is an. enlarged detail plan View looking position. In this type of'znagazine. the bobbin in the direction ofarrow 5, Fig. 1,-showing-- part which is released from a stationary stack falls of the magazine-operating mechanism; along guidesito the transfer position and is not Fig. 6 is a verticalsection on-line. B--$, Fig. 5, positively moved to that position. Fig '7 is a verticalsection on-line 1-'l, Fig; 1,

It is an important object of the present invenshowing details of the'selectormechanism, tion to provide multistack W h ems Figshil and 9 are enlargedverticalsections-on mechanism including several reserve bobbin lines 8-8 and 9.9, respectively, Fig. 7, magazines eachcapable of moving from abnormal i 10 isanenlarged section on line l0. I-il, position to a position in which the lowest bobbin 1} indischargeposition with respectfo the magazine 11 is ie f the wefbreplenishingrmeche W be meted at a common F W t as seen fromith'e center ofthe 100111 and g i i l i 9i i f ?"f {f"? looking in the direction of arrow H, Fig. 2, and

the common transfer position, in readiness. for belhg in section,- to illustratethe supports for the transfer into adepletedshuttle. magazines wh1ch are omitted.

It is a further Object of thelinventioin to Referring more particularly to Fig. 1; the loom vide the replenishing mechanism. with. pivotal frame 1 111 p a bottom shafts 2" and supports for the several magazines, these supports respect which in pmsentlmstanceare being so located with respectsto each-other and connected i e relation y. a gear 4 n the their corresponding magazines that all ofthe top-S a s g W a gear 5-tWi0eitS SiZemagazines can be moved independently of each the. bottom shaft. The loom layii-isreciprocated other to locatetheir lowest bobbins in transfer backwardly and forwardly inusual manner by position. means of top shaft driven connectors one of which It is a further object oithecinventionito. make is Shawn t 1, Thelay has a shuttle box 8 to each or" a single stack typerand-flr receive any one of several shuttles. with which flllem ham and order m'the 9 and theloom operates. In the present instance it is im d lie'a'rmostmagazmes t 40 assumed that the loom is operating with four 532331131011 axisnnd plvot- 13518 other magazmes shuttles andthat the previouslysmentioned weft mIwgen P im ireplenishing mechanism is made with four sepat is a still iorther obiect of the invention to L -c c i rate magazines. The lay 1s plOVlQBd with a pioviee an impioved 10mm of selectively, controlled b be 9 f t qferl tch m actuator for the operating mechanism of the 5 E or coopera' Ion W1 5 mm magazines so that the latter can be operated one plvoted on ifransfeljrer I at a time. In this feature of the invention it is The 100m provldfld w a statlonary a still further object to make the operating mech- Eon-m1 Stud 52 on Winch 15 mounted an actuator anisnzs forthe'several magazines in such manner lave-v13 Operated by a cam on the bottom-Shaft that they tend to return their respective magas l v I3 ha a mplete cp r ion vy zones to normal position but will yield to take Second beat of the loom and is provided Withv upanyexcess motion of the actuator after the dog 15 for the. purpose of rocking a setting lever selected magazine has moved properly to transfer l6 also pivot d 0 the tud bu n y at position. rest. Lever it is provided with apiug ll, under In: order that the invention may be clearly 55 which the dog it is directed by any one of four understood reference ismade tothe accomp-an deflectors i8 mounted on lever [6. These ins" drawings, which illustrateby way of example deflectors are ordina y in nonrd fi p the embodiments of thecinven-tion andin which: tion so-that the-dog canriseand ffill WilihOiitlCOIl- 1' is a side elevation of a loomhaving the nection. with the: lever 16. The deflectors are invention applied thereto,

moved to deflecting position by a solenoid l9 con trolled by an electric weft detector D at the rcplenishing side of the loom.

Secured to stud I2 is a small. stand to the lower end of which is pivoted a lever 2| attached by a connector 22 to the shuttle boxes (not shown) at the opposite end of the loom. In the present instance there will be four of these shuttle boxes as is usual in many four-color weft replenishing looms. Stand 20 has a rearwardly extending horizontal arm 23 on which a bell crank lever 24 is pivoted. This lever is connected by rod 25 to lever 2| and by a second rod 25 to the gang of deflectors it. As the shuttle boxes at the opposite end of the loom shift, the levers 2i and 24 are rocked to assume any one of four positions, one effect of which is to locate the deflector [8 corresponding to the actively paced shuttle box in register with the dog l5.

The forward end of lever I6 is connected to an upright rod 3!] connected to a setting head 3| pivoted on a fixed stud 32. This head 3| is provided with a shuttle position detector 33 and a latch lifter 34. Whenever a weft replenishing operation is to occur dog l5 will be moved under lug I! by one or another of the deflectors l8 and rod will be raised to move the shuttle position detector 33 r arwardly to perform its usual function of determining whether or not the shuttle in box 8 is properly placed for a weft replenishing operation. At the same time latch 18 is moved upwardly into the pathv of bunter 9 for the purpose of operating the transferrer arm II. The setting head 3| rocks when the lay is in rearward position so that the raised latch l D will be engaged by the bunter of the advancing lay. In the present instance the shuttle in the box is indicated at SI and carries the usual bobbin 35 which will be pushed downwardly through a slot 36 in the lay by action of the transferrer arm ll.

The matter thus far described may be of usual construction and operate in the ordinary manner and for further description reference may be had to prior Patents Nos. 1,766,895 and 1,803,181.

The weft replenishing mechanism forming an important part of the present invention is designated generally at W and includes several frame members which are shown more particularly in Fig. 11. The principal frame member Fl has a foot 49 secured to a part of the loom frame I at 5 the forward part of the weft replenishing mechanism and has also a brace 4! which is secured to the loom frame. Fastened to and extending upwardly from the frame Fl is a second frame F2 which supports part of the operating mechanism as will be described hereinafter. Another frame F3 is secured as at 42 to the loom frame and supports a fourth frame F4, see for instance Figs. 1, 2 and 11. The loom arches 43 are shown herein as supported by the frame F3. The frames Fl-F may be considered collectively as comprising framework for the weft replenishing mechanism.

The weft replenishing mechanism W is in the present instance adapted for supplying four different kinds of bobbins held in magazines Ml, M2, M3 and M4 arranged one behind the other in the loom. The frontmost and rearmost magazines Ml and M4 are somewhat similar except of opposite hand and the other two magazines M2 and M3 are between the outside magazines and are of somewhat similar construction.

Magazine Ml has a bobbin butt guiding frame and a bobbin tip guiding frame 5! connected to it by tie rods 52. Each frame 50 and ill is made with a slot as will be apparent from Fig. 2 to receive the corresponding parts of the bobbins Bl in magazine MI. The lower part of magazine Ml is made with its guides inclined downwardly and rearwardly and provision is made for supporting the lowest bobbin in discharge position. This provision may be a yielding butt support 53 and a yielding tip support 54. These supports are indicated on the drawing but are not set forth in detail since they follow the general pattern of supports of this type customarily found in weft replenishing mechanisms. The upper part of magazine M! has secured thereto a support 56 which is shown as a metallic bar of rectangular cross section leading rearwardly from magazine Ml to a hub 51 l .ounted on a stud 58 horizontally disposed and extending laterally from the frame Fl.

The rear magazine M4 has bobbin butt and tip guiding plates similar to those already described for magazine Ml but of the opposite hand and has its upper part attached to a support bar 59 leading forwardly to a hub 60 also pivotally mounted on stud 58. The supports 56 and 59 extend in opposite directions from the stud '58 and can move independently of each other with their corresponding magazines MI and M4.

Magazine M2 is provided with butt and tip guiding frames 65 and 66, respectively, connected by tie rod 6'5. The upper part of magazine M2 is connected to a support bar 68 leading to a hub 69 which is pivoted on a stud 10 secured to and extending laterally from the frame Fl and parallel to stud 58. The lower end of magazine M2 is also provided with yielding supports for the butt and tip of the lowest bobbin in it, that is, the bobbin in discharge position.

The magazine M3 is somewhat similar to magazine M2 except that it is generally of the opposite hand and has a support 12 secured to the lower part thereof and swingable about a third stud "53 secured to and projecting laterally from frame Fl and parallel to the other two studs 58 and 70. The framework is provided with stops T4 for engagement with the supports 56, 59, 68 and 12 to limit upward movement of the magazines.

The lowest bobbins in the magazines are designated at Dl, D2, D3 and D4, these bobbins being in discharge position with respect to their magazines and moving with the latter. As shown in Fig. 3 the magazines are movable about their centers in such manner that their bobbins in discharge position come to a common transfer posi tion which is designated at P. Thus, the magazines Ml and M2 can be swung in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 1, around their respective centers and the other two magazines M3 and M4 swing in a clockwise direction around their centers, the magazines being so designed that each magazine can move to transfer position without interference on the part of the others when the latter are in their normal position. From Fig. 12 it will be seen that the supports 56 and '22 move more or less in the same vertical plane but are far enough apart vertically so that each support can move through its range of motion without interference with the other support, and this is true also of the supports 59 and G8.

The frame Fl is provided with adjustable stops f0]? engagement with the supports 56, 59,. 68 and 72. These supports limit rocking movement of the several magazines to their respective trans-. fer positions when the magazines are moved by their operating mechanisms.

evo ee? The. operatingsmechanism. for the' magazin'es'i'is mounted partly on the frame; E2 andfpartly on frame F4. Operating'levers 16, 11,18: and. I9 pivoted on frame F2. are. provided; respectively, for the-magazines MI: M4'and. areattach'ed to the magazines by rods 80, the lower: ends: of which are'connected to the. corresponding sup ports of the associated magazines. Each of. the levers 75-19 is also connected to a generally horizontally extending rod; these rods. being indicated respectively at 8.1-, 82, 83: and 85. As viewed in Fig. 1 for instance theright'h'and ends of. these rods pass through a-fixed' guide support 85 and each of the rods 8-I-81lhasthe right hand end thereof surrounded by a giveway spring 85 located between a nut B'Ion'the rod and the left hand down-bent end 88 of an operatorsii. Each operator has the right hand end thereof connected to a guide rod having secured to the right hand end thereof a collar 9I provided with the guide pin 92 which passes through a guide plate 93. The guide rods'are shown at 94, 95, 96 and 9 1, and correspond respectively torods tit-34. The guide pins 92 are spaced from their rods and serve to prevent angular motion of the latter so that the operators 89 will be held in the correct upright position as suggestedfor instance in Fig. 1. Each of the guide rods is surrounded by a positioning spring 98 interposed between the guide 93 and the down-bent right hand end 99 of the associated operator 89.

Thesprings 98 normally exert a force to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 to maintain their operators 89 in normal position with the down-bent ends 88 of the operators exerting a force to the left on collars I: secured to the rods ilk-86. The springs 98 therefore act to hold the magazines normally in raisednon-transferring posi tion. When any operator 89 is moved to the right, Fig. 1, the corresponding magazine will be swung around its axis by a force transmitted through the giveway spring 86, and if the magazine should engage its stop I before completion of the movement of the operator to. the right the giveway spring 86 will be compressed to absorb the excess motion without placing undue strain on the magazine.

It may be desirable. tosupplement the springs 98 corresponding to magazines M2 and M3 by additional means to hold these magazines in their normal raised position. Such ameansmay include a spring illI anchored atone ofits. ends to the framework at E92 andat its other end. to. the support for magazine M2, as at I03. A similar spring Hit may be used. for magazine. M3,

see Fig. 1.

The actuator mechanism for the magazines is mounted principally on frame F land includesa rod I05 mounted for horizontal sliding in the: upper partof frame F4. This. rod has-secured thereto. anactuatorhookor head Illfitothe left of. the down-bent. ends 99 of the operators 89 as viewed for instance in Fig. 1.. Rod Ifiiihas a collar I91 secured thereto by a pin I 03, see

Fig. 9.- The collar is. provided with a. groove. see

which receives the upper forked end iii? of a positioner II! secured by setscrew Hi! to a second horizontal rod I 53 slidably mounted in'frame F t preferably parallel to rod I05.

Part of the rod H35 is surrounded by; a' sleeve F I I5 on which is secured an actuating head H6 connect at HT- to the upper'end of an actuator rod Ildwhich extends downwardly and ispivot allyconnected to-a rearwardi'y extending arm II9' oi the setting lever" IIS. In thepresent l tor. 89, Fig. 1.

instance: the collar I01 has" secured thereto parallel rods I and I 2| whichextend through and have slidingengagement withthe head II'Ii. Whenever operating rod H8 is depressed by rocking oflever It the actuator head II6'will-be rocked in a clockwise direction as viewed'in Figs. 8 and 9 to turn the collar I0! and rod I05 in a direction to move :head I06 to the right-or against the righthand downturned ends 99 of 'theoperar- The sleeve II 5 has a collar-I24 secured thereto to limit motion of the sleeve to the left, Fig. 10, and the headI I 6 is limited in its motion to. the right, Fig. 10, by a bearing Him the upper part of the frame F4; The head II6 thereforealways' moves in the-same actuating plane. regardless of the longitudinal position of the rod I05.

The-selector mechanism is also mounted principally on frame F4 and includes the previously mentioned positioning member III and a posi tioning lever I36 connected by link I3I torod II3. Lever I is pivoted on'a stud I3Zmount'ed on a small stand I33 secured to and extending to the left of frame F4, see Fig. 10. Lever" I33 is connected to a positioning rod'I35 whicll'extends downwardly and ispivotally connected" to an arm I35 of previously described lever 24'. A tension spring I3! is connected at'itslower'end to rod I35 by a collar I 38 and has its upper end engaged with a hook I39 fixed with respect-to the stand I33.

Whenever lever 24 is moved due to a shifting of the shuttle boxes at the'opposite end f-th'e loom the vertical position of rod I35' is changed and there will be a corresponding-rocking of lever I39" so that it can occupy either the position shown in full lines or the positions"v shown in broken lines in Fig. 10. When lever l3uro'cks'it acts through the positioner III to slide thefrod I05. and therefore the actuator head I06, causing the .latterto register with the operator 8Q. corresponding to the shuttle boxin active-pickingposition; The actuator i is thereforelreptinregis ter'with the operating mechanism for thema'gazine'which corresponds to the active shuttle;

It is'believed that the operation of the invention will be. understood from the foregoingdescription. Whenever the detector D indicates weft exhaustionin shuttle'box 8 the'so'lenoid" I9 is energized to: move into deflecting position the deflector I8 corresponding to the shuttlerbox' assigned to. theshuttlein box 8, and asth'e'pp crating lever ISisrocked'in a clockwise direction;

Fig. 1, the settinglever I6 is swung'around' stud I2 to set the loom for a replenishing operation by movement of the latch I 0 into the'pathof the hunter 9 and by movement of the shuttle position detector 33 in a rearward'direction, to the right, Fig. 1. At the same time actuator rod H8: isdepresse-d so that the head I06. isrocked: toithe-right Fig.1, to move theoperator89regis tered therewith to the right and causezrockingof theassociated magazine to move its lowest; bobbin'in discharge position to transferposition' indicated at P' in Fig. 3. When the. hunter 9" engages the latch I'fl' transfer arm H is rocked in-usual manner to-transferthe bobbin in. trans fer position into the shuttle in. shuttlebox. 8. The trans'ferrer arm may conveniently-bepivoted? on a stud i fixed with respect to thefr'ameFI.

During movement of tifle'sele'cted magazine to transferposition th. .sosiated' operatorsftd will homered. to the right, l; causing compression". of the corresponding spring 93. If angularmo tion 0; the actuator'head IE6 shoul'd be' sliglitlt more than that required to move the magazine to transfer position there will be a compression of the corresponding spring 8i) when the magazine engages its stop 75. The cam 14 is so shaped that lever [B will be held in its setting position long enough to hold the actuator head I88 in its operating position, shown in broken lines in Fig. 9, until the bobbin transferring operation can be completed and the transferrer arm H started upwardly in usual manner on its return stroke. Dog will then descend to permit return counter-olockwise rocking of lever 16 to its normal position which will result in movement of the shuttle position feeler 33 away from its detecting position and will permit the latch ii) to fall to non-transferring position and will permit upward motion of the actuator rod M3 to return the actuator head I06 to its normal operating position shown in full lines in Fig. 9. This completes the bobbin transferring operation, re-

turn of the actuator head I06 to its normal position by the spring 98 registered therewith being accompanied by return of the previously activated magazine to its normal raised non-transferring position.

In the description of operation given above it was assumed that lever I30 and the actuator head "36 were in the full line position shown in Fig. 10, but it will be understood that the oper ation will be the same if the lever and head 106 are in any of the broken line positions shown in Fig. 10, the only difference being that the magazine actuated will be the one corresponding to the position of the lever and head.

- From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth the weft replenishing mechanism having at least three separately movable magazines so mounted that the lowest bobbin in each magazine can move to a common transfer position by swinging of the magazines. The magazines are normally in non-transferring position and are so disposed that each can move to transfer position independently of the other magazines. Also, the supports for the magazine, such as the bars 56, 59, 68 and 12, are arranged so that each can have a necessary range of motion without interference on the part of any other support, this feature being more particularly concerned with the lower supports for the inner magazines M2 and M3 which are under the upper supports for magazines MI and M4, respectively. It will further be seen that each of the operating mechanisms includes two springs and two substantially rigid parts, spring 98 normally tending to restore its magazine to normal non-transferring position and spring 86 yielding in the event that the actuator head I06 should move the operating mechanism a short distance after the called magazine is against its stop 15. The rigid parts, 8! and 89, transmit force under action of spring 98 in a given direction, to the left in Fig. 6, to rock the magazine back to normal position after a transfer. Spring 86 normally holds the rigid parts in force transmitting relation and is strong enough to transmit the force required to rock the magazine to transfer position, yieldingly only upon excess motion of head I06. Also, the selector and actuator mechanism includes the actuator head 106, the sliding rod I05 to which it is secured, the grooved collar I01, the yoke positioning member HI, and the lever I38 which is moved in response to shifting of the shuttle boxes and angular movement of levers 2| and 24. Also, each of the inner magazines M2 and M3 swings about an axis spaced from a line 8 passing through the transfer position and the common axis for the magazines MI and M4.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay, a weft replenishing mechanism provided with four reserve bobbin magazines arranged in front to back order in the loom and down each of which bobbins move by gravity to a low discharge position in the magazine, means for each magazine yieldingly holding the latter in normal position with the bobbin in discharge position therein spaced from a transfer position from which the bobbin can be transferred to the lay, a common pivotal support for the frontmost and rearmost magazines located so that either of these two magazines can swing about said pivotal support to move the bobbin in discharge position therein to said transfer position, the other two magazines being located between said frontmost and rearmost magazines, a separate pivotal mounting for each of said other two magazines located so that either magazine can swing to move the bobbin in discharge position therein to said common trans fer position, operating mechanism for each magazine, actuator means movable to register with the operating mechanism, one at a time, and effective when operating to move the magazine registered therewith to move the bobbin in discharge position therein to said transfer position, and selector means to move the actuator means into register with any one of said operating mechanisms.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin magazine normally in non-transferring position but movable to bobbin transfer position, an actuator having an actuating movement to move the magazine to transfer position, a stop to limit movement of the magazine by the actuator beyond said transfer position, and operating mechanism for actuation by the actuator operatively connected to the magazine and including two substantially rigid parts and two springs, one of said springs normally urging one of said rigid parts in a given direction and causing said one part in cooperation with the other of said. rigid parts to hold the magazine in normal non-transferring position, said one part being in the path of the actuator to be moved by the latter on an actuating movement thereof to overpower said one spring and cause the op.- erating mechanism to move the magazine against said stop, and the other spring being operatively interposed between said rigid parts normally holding said parts in position to cause said other part to be moved by said one part when the latter is moved in said given direction but yielding upon engagement of the magazine with the stop to permit relative motion of said rigid parts in the event the actuator continues to move after the magazine engages the stop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 811,889 Wyman et a1. Feb. 6, 1906 2,128,974 Turner Sept. 6, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 501,434 Great Britain of 1939 617,986 Germany Aug. 30, 1935 

